


Lion of Scales

by Burnmoon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Family Drama, Family Issues, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 10:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7754215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burnmoon/pseuds/Burnmoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus Severus Potter is in Slytherin. His brother is mortified- and refuses to speak to him. How can he reconcile with him, when he refuses to communicate? And how can he ignore the growing signs that his family is not as noble as he believed? T for future darkness. (**WAS WRITTEN BEFORE AND DISREGARDS CURSED CHILD**)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ceremony

The Great Hall was alight in preparation for the new Hogwarts students- Candles floating in the air, food ready to be conjured, all that sort of festive delight. All of the professors were chatting about what would be the new addition to Hogwarts, save the Slytherin Head who was mentally preparing for a new wave of children, who (in her house, at least) would bend the rules so much and find so many loopholes the laws might be made of Muggle bubblewrap and yarn.

Laverne stabbed at the table unenthusiastically as she listened to countless whispers. She had been excited at first, but now it was just plain annoying. They all said the same thing, so after the first time they were worthless words- and she frankly didn't care. Blinking slowly, she saw Minerva, the headmistress reminding everyone of the news that Laverne had heard about a thousand times before- Harry Potter's second son was arriving at Hogwarts. His name, if the Slytherin Head of House recalled correctly, was Albus Severus Potter. Frankly, she thought that his first name should have been Severus- how many Dumbledore-reverers had already named their children after the legendary wizard? Well, in all honesty, Laverne just wasn't too enthusiastic. James, their first son, had been sorted into Gryffindor already and was a menace to anyone not in his oh-so-great house.

Yes, Gryffindor was the over-hyped (and in her opinion, overrated) house these days. Why the people would favor it Laverne could see- Both Dumbledore and Harry Potter himself had been sorted into it. Dipping into her Muggle roots, she remembered the term as very 'mainstream'. And because the man that had vanquished the Dark Lord had been in this particular house, everyone wanted to be in it. Honestly... Slytherin, on the other hand, had been as looked down upon as always. Since You-Know-Who's death, Slytherin's pure-blood fanatics had thinned out, but that hadn't stopped James. Oh yes, the kid had been a menace among her Snakes, calling them cheaters, bigots, hypocrites, and had even went as far as called some of them Voldemort worshipers.

Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff? Well, if Gryffindor was overrated, then these two houses were very much underrated. In reality, she found them both better. Ravenclaw was smarter, and Hufflepuff was the one that really held the 'kind and chivalrous' title. Granted, Gryffindors had bravery and sheer guts for days, but someone had to boost the other houses' qualities. She couldn't say she was surprised of how they were looked over, considering how every parent ever expected their child to be a Gryffindor and savior of the the world these days.

Of the Headmistress, Laverne had always expected Minerva to be akin to Dumbledore in terms of blatant bias. But to her surprise and delight, she found that Minerva swept upon her students like an angry tiger, and if anything, she was firmer with them. So, no complaints there, she supposed. Regardless, James was a bad influence anyways. From what hints Minerva had given out, Laverne had deduced that his behavior was not unlike his deceased grandfather, his namesake. Ah well.

Despite her views, she didn't dislike Harry Potter and his wife- quite the opposite. She applauded his accomplishment of getting rid of a stain on humanity, and making the world much safer for all who came into it- wizard or Muggle. Laverne had never met him in person, of course, but from what she gathered he seemed to be a well-spoken, modest man, who did not mooch off of his fame. She could not say the same for his son- the way he acted made her instinctually be apprehensive to another Potter.

Once Minerva's little spheal was over, Laverne nodded absentmindedly at how to not show any favoritism to little Albus which, him surely going to be a Gryffindor, was not going to happen from her.

Which was probably why her impulsive decision to bet 5 Galleons that he would be sorted into her house was a bad idea.

She had been tired of the 'no one good is in Slytherin' sticky label.

But it had been foolish- at the end of the day she would be proven wrong and five galleons shorter.

* * *

 

Albus Severus Potter waved good-bye to his parents as the train started from the station, gradually picking up speed. He stayed with his head out the window until King's Cross Station was out of sight, to where he looked over his things.

All of his books, check.

Robes, check.

Personal menageries, check.

His barn owl, Genevieve, check.

Well, it seemed that he was all right. This couldn't be too bad, right? He felt his brother lean in close to him.

On second thought, maybe it could.

"Be careful, I heard if you're an unwanted child, they'll drown you! Better not be Slytherin, Al!"

Rose wrinkled her nose and said,

"Cut it out James!"

Al was about to retort hotly that Slytherin was for evil gits and that he would never be in such a house, until his father's words came back to remind him- _Albus Severus, you were named after two headmasters. One was the bravest man I ever knew._

So he decided to go with a more subtle retort as he replied coolly,

"I guess that explains why you arrived soaking wet that one day."

James looked affronted, about to make a nasty retort but found himself unable. Albus let a small smile break onto his face as he took his things and walked down the aisles of the train to get away from his menace of a brother. Dad had said that the Sorting Hat would listen to a certain degree to requests, so if it came down to it he could probably ask to go to Gryffindor. Chances were, all was in his favor. He was completely fine, anyways. Being the son of Harry Potter, the Sorting Hat would probably take a second to gush- since it indeed had a personality/person in it- and then decide. During that time, he could definitely persuade it that Gryffindor was the place for him.

It was only logical- his mother was a Gryffindor, his dad was a Gryffindor, and from both lines both of his grandparents were Gryffindors, and their parents before that. So, by the law of probability, he was definitely a Gryffindor. There was no way he was a Slytherin, right? It was like two people with blond hair somehow ending up with a redhead, it just wasn't a possibility. His fears were totally unfounded, and James had no grounds to place his teasing on at all.

But then again... He was never as brave as his brother. James had always been the first one to jump for everything, be it running into a Muggle highway to save a puppy, or jumping into a freezing-cold pool without a second thought. Al had always had been think-first, jump later- when there was a pillow on the floor. And, though he was ashamed to admit it, he did cheat a few times on a game in order to win.

And then suddenly he had a mortifying thought- what if the sorting hat pulled a Sirius Black on him? His dad had told him about his godfather, and how every single member of his family had been a Slytherin until him, who was put in Gryffindor. What if it happened to him? What if hundreds of years of Gryffindor ancestry did nothing to help him? This wasn't good. He really wanted the plan to go smoothly, he didn't want failure to be an option here! But the Sorting Hat was too unpredictable, how was he supposed to control this?!

Merlin, how did any child live through this anxiety?!

But regardless, his brother was a git and he didn't want to listen to his jeers anyways, so he stepped into a cabin with a girl chatting absentmindedly to a boy (that looked surprisingly similar to her) while reading a book- probably siblings. As he stepped in, they looked up, but otherwise didn't say anything as they continued their conversation and Al awkwardly set down his stuff, Genevieve hooting.

With nothing to do, he took out the owl-who perched on his arm- and stroked in absentmindedly while he listened in on the conversation. The girl had dark brown hair that looked like it was only brushed because it was required to be brushed, and tan skin that gave Al no clue to her ethnicity. Her brown eyes blinked lazily as she listened to her brother, a shorter boy with the same tan skin and eyes. The difference was that the boy had jet-black hair and was very animate. The boy continued, snorting,

"... and Dereck was acting like he always was, all arrogant. It might as well have been the NFL for him, honestly! He thinks he is all that, when he can't even hold the football correctly, git."

NFL? What was an 'NFL'?

"That sucks. On the bright side, you won't have to play with him anymore... Although it does kind of suck that you are giving up football..."

Football? What planet did these kids come from? ... Oh.

"Yeah, it does. Though giving up school for this... I'd take it anyway!"

"Definitely. God, I can't stand doing Algebra, if I had to do any more I'd explode..."

He was so stupid to not know it earlier- these kids were Muggle-Born, and probably originally from the United States. God, NFL, Football, Algebra... all muggle terms.

I'm too stupid for this planet. He groaned mentally.

Should he introduce himself? He wasn't sure. He didn't know them, why would he? It's not like they were paying any attention to him. But, wasn't this more Gryffindor-ish? Right? Taking a risk and making friends.

Bravery and Kindness all in one move! Perfect!

"Hi." He said, a bit sheepishly.

_Seriously? Get it together. You are a Potter. Make friends. Stop being a wuss, who cares if you embarrass yourself?_

The two siblings looked at each other for a second, as if seeking approval from one another. The girl put down her book and motioned to her brother. They seemed to be challenging one another to speak first. The boy appeared to give in, and spoke first, saying,

"Hey."

_Well, that was anti-climatic..._

What now? Oh right, name. Albus supposed this is what he got for being antisocial when they went to the park.

"I'm Albus Severus Potter, but I preferred to be called Al." He said, extending a hand.

He was a little annoyed that the name didn't seem to affect them whatsoever (or did the girl brighten slightly?), but he gently reminded himself that they were Muggle-Born and they had no idea that his father was the savior of the Wizarding World. The boy took his hand and shook it, saying in a quiet voice,

"Abe Nilends."

The girl finally spoke, saying,

"Quellabellas Nilends. If you ever call me that, I'll throttle you, so just QB is fine. I've heard your name a few times on the train and around Diagon Alley- or at least, your father's name. Your dad is Harry Potter, right?"

Finally, some recognition. He smiled slightly, saying,

"Yeah! He is the one that killed off Voldemort."

Ooh, he was going to get dinged for that one. But if his parents didn't say 'You-Know-Who', why should he? He understood the name scared some people, but they shouldn't be! He was dead, right? Besides, these kids were Muggle-Born, they didn't know the importance and infamy of the name.

"...Voldemort?" Abe asked, clearly confused. His sister QB had a brief look of recognition on her face, and Al explained,

"He was a really terrible wizard who thought only pure-bloods- wizards with only magical blood- should be allowed to have magical blood course through his veins, so he decided to start a sort of revolution to kill off half-bloods and Muggle-borns. In addition to that, he thought that we should halt the Statue of Secrecy to rule over Muggles themselves, and murdered innocent Muggles as well. He became so infamous, that people were afraid to speak his name in fear of retaliation. Along with that, he sought immortality and the ability to be invincible.

He had this close circle of his followers known as Death Eaters, and he would often send them to terrorize and kill people who were against him, and whenever someone was murdered by them they sent this thing called a Dark Mark into the sky. That looked like a skull with a snake coming out of it's mouth, by the way. And you know what? He was a Half-Blood himself!"

Abe looked mortified, but QB looked unfazed as she stated,

"So, basically, he's a Wizard Adolf Hitler, and Death Eaters are Nazi's?"

"Yea- what?"

He thought he had heard the name Hitler before, but he really wasn't sure.

"Hitler. Infamous muggle, to put it short he imprisoned and murdered a lot of innocent Jews- people who followed this certain Muggle religion- sort of because they supposedly killed Jesus-thats another person in another Muggle religion- and also sort of because he thought them inferior. The Nazi's are his followers and people who fought for him. Irony was, rumor had it that his grandmother was a Jew." Abe explained.

"Killing innocent people because of religion? That seems very silly."

"From our angle, killing people because their parents weren't magical enough or at all sounds incredibly ridiculous as well." She countered.

Well, that was indeed a good point.

He liked these kids.

"So, what pets do you have?" He asked, turning the conversation away from morbid Muggles and Wizards.

Abe pulled a yellow and green toad out of his pocket (dubbed, 'Poly'), explaining that it, apparently, was able to detect any lie.

"Really? Ok. My hair is actually purple." Al stated.

The toad did nothing.

QB heaved a heavy sigh, saying

"I think it has to be a genuine lie. You can't just say, 'My hair is purple', and expect it to do something..."

"Yeah well, at least I know my pet's ("supposed," murmured QB) power, unlike you, with your recluse cat!" Abe retorted.

Albus looked inquisitively at her, and QB sighed and whistled. And, down from the upper compartment, came the largest looking cat he ever saw. It's fur was a deep reddish-brown, with piercing golden eyes and black ears. It was incredibly fluffy, but had a ragged appearance about him. The signature 'M' on it's forehead marked it as a Maine Coon.

"I... actually don't know what Fox does." QB admitted, stroking the cat.

"Really?" asked Albus. "Magical Menagarie usually tells you what their animals are capable of."

Abe looked accusatory, but didn't say anything as QB shrugged absentmindedly and continued petting Fox. Though he was suspicious, Albus recognized the testy situation and switched the topic of conversation, once again.

"So... what about your wands?"

QB pulled out hers twirling it in her hands as she explained, with a hint of pride in her voice,

"Cedar and Dragon Heartstring. 13 inches, he said surprisingly swishy. I believe he said something about the last part being about your willingness to change, or whatnot."

Abe pulled out his as well, explaining with a small smile,

"Chestnut and Unicorn Hair. 9 and a half inches, unyielding."

Al nodded, pulling out his own and stating,

"Blackthorn and Dragon, 10 inches, very bendy."

With QB's information in mind, he wasn't sure if the bendy-ness of his wand was a sign that he might have to adapt to a new situation, like being sorted into Slytherin. Anxiety surfacing again, he banished the thought from his mind and continued to chat with the two siblings about how they came to Hogwarts with a huge man named Hagrid, and how surprised they were to learn they were wizards. They all laughed when Abe told them that their parents thought the person was mental and almost called the Muggle Police, until proof was given by making themselves invisible. Albus explained all the houses and their respective traits and reputations, QB and Abe exchanging an amused glance at Slytherin. Albus could only hope he found the Sorting that easy.

* * *

 

Albus Severus Potter had sort of pictured Hogwarts... smaller. The massive, spiraling castle jutted out onto the cliff like jaws, and he started to appreciate the Muggle-repelling spells a little more. Next to it, a little farther back, was a sprawling, foreboding forest and an out-of-place tiny hut. He almost forgot about his House-dilemma just absorbing the breath-taking landscape. As he was walking, he felt himself unceremoniously removed from his friends when his brother James snatched him away from them.

He put Albus face-to-face, saying,

"Sorry, Al. You know I didn't mean it, right? I know you'll be a Gryffindor, don't you worry!" He smiled, and Albus felt himself forgiving his brother once again for his shenanigans. He waved goodbye to James as he walked into Hogwarts, Al being rounded up in alphabetical order by Hagrid with all the other first-years.

Walking into Great Hall was, quite literally, magic- it was just like, if not better, than when his parents described it. Dozens of candles floated mid-air, the hall alive with mirth and anticipation of where they would spend the next seven years. Albus did a once-over at all the Houses at their respective tables.

Hufflepuff had an air of warmth and friendliness, the kind you might expect with your family. They all seemed very kind, and Albus decided that if he was sorted into their house he really wouldn't mind at all. A few were waving at the First-Years, and were chatting animately with one-another. Al wasn't surprised at the earthy, warm tones they all carried, and he couldn't see why this house was sometimes overlooked.

Ravenclaw held a distinct air of intelligence and a bit of oddness- but that added to their appeal, not detracted. They were a bit quiet, and a large number of them were reading, only looking up every so often to smile slightly at the new additions. They seemed to be the quieter table, not being too loud- but that could be attributed to them reading. The coolness of the blue complimented them all.

When Albus saw the Gryffindor table, his breath hitched in his throat. They were by far the loudest table, rowdy and looking as if the very notion of not being sorted into their house was a crime worthy of Azkaban. However, they all looked very brotherly, slapping each other on the backs and laughing. Many of them were waving enthusiastically at them all, and he saw his brother give him a thumbs-up. They all held an imposing air about them, as if daring anyone to cross them. All in all, they looked as noble as the lion-emblazed emblem they sported.

Now, at the Slytherin table, Albus got a bit of a reality check. He had expected unsmiling, sneering faces that looked as arrogant as ever, and he half expected a 'Support Lord Voldemort' sign above their heads. But all of that was, indeed, quite false. So false, that Albus actually felt a tad guilty for making them out to be worse than they were. In reality, they were actually the quietest table, laughing quietly to each other. Unlike the other tables where they split into close, compact groups scattered throughout, the Slytherins were all very close to one another, as if they were all friends. It was then he noticed the cold glares they were every so often getting, and how they seemed to scoot closer to one another at every one.

The sheer amount of distrust towards them was actually quite heart-breaking. But regardless, he was going to be a Gryffindor and that was that. He made a silent little vow to himself to never stereotype again.

And then the Sorting started.

The talking hat's song was actually quite entertaining. It went on about the history of Hogwarts, of kind and loyal Hufflepuffs, the brilliant and eccentric Ravenclaws, of courageous and chivalrous Gryffindors, of sly and crafty Slytherins. Unfortunately, the time stall only made Albus' anxiety worse. When a tall lady in dark green robes gestured students to sit on the stool, he considered running.

There was a Hufflepuff here (Listle, Reclusa) a couple of Ravenclaws there (Catrins, Felise and Catrix, Helena) a Gryffindor or two amongst the midst, and he recognized Scorpius Malfoy getting sorted into Slytherin.

He watched Abe approach the stool, and sit down nervously. After a brief moment, the Sorting Hat bellowed,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

To his surprise, Abe lingered until his sister approached the stool. After an even longer moment than Albus, the hat announced,

"SLYTHERIN!"

He expected Abe and QB to be surprised or angry, but Abe just joked softly,

"I always knew you were evil!"

QB laughed quietly, high-fiving her brother as they set off to their respective Houses, both tables seemingly trying to clap harder than the other. After the O's passed, he heard his name.

"Potter, Albus!"

He felt a hushed silence go about the room. Here he was, the son of the famous Harry Potter, about to be sorted. Preparing to argue against the hat if the time came, he mentally quieted himself in order to be able to engage in all-House warfare. He sat resolutely at the stool, arms crossed and trying to look confident as he stared down a smiling James.

_Remember, you're a Potter. Convince the thing, it's just a hat!_

Well, Albus Severus had no time to do such a thing as convincing anybody, hats included, as the millisecond the Hat touched his head, it declared loudly,

"SLYTHERIN!"

The awed silence was replaced with shock, on the verge of mortification from the other houses. He turned to James, his heart shattering when he saw the look of utter horror on his face.

In the silence, someone spoke for the first time in what seemed like centuries.

"I win." Said a feminine voice, and he turned to see a blonde-haired, blue-eyed professor gesture for something without looking away from Albus.

Hagrid grumbled something and placed 5 Galleons into her hand.

It seemed to have broken the spell, and the Slytherin table erupted into cheers louder than all the houses combined would have, and he contained his dismay into an expressionless mask.

He walked numbly to the Slytherin table, and sat down next QB, who offered him a soft smile.

The lady in green blinked away her shock and barked for the next student, who was placed in Hufflepuff. Time passed and he heard Rose Weasley getting sorted into Gryffindor.

After it was over, Albus shuffled along with the other Slytherins, herded by prefects, and entered the common room. He turned to the blonde-haired professor, who's blue eyes were gleaming and a grin on her face. Unwrapping a bar of chocolate, she bit into it with a loud snap, smiling, while always keeping her eyes on him,

"What do you know, turns out Harry Potter's kid is in Slytherin..."

* * *

 

Albus Severus Potter swallowed nervously as he looked up at the Professor, who was still crunching on her chocolate. Oh, Merlin. Not only was he sorted into Slytherin, he had the weirdest and creepiest Head of House to ever grace the Earth. The professor had curt, bobbed blonde hair with striking, but lazy-looking blue eyes. Unlike some of the other professors who wore large, sweeping robes, she wore a white blouse. Wait. Was she slouching?! Well, hopefully no words were required of him. Maybe.

Someone asked, with a tinge of disgust,

"Is that... Muggle Chocolate?"

She didn't bother turning to look at the student, she simply nodded and moved on from Albus. It seemed she was very, highly, amused at something that Albus would really like to know. Right now.

"Alright then. As some of you may know, my name is Professor Laverne. This is the Slytherin House, as some of you are probably realizing in mortification. Now, you also might have some questions, which I will be answering right now. 'Is it true that most Death Eaters originated from this house?' Yes. 'Do the other houses not like us?' In general, yes, but don't worry about it too much. 'I don't belong in this house!'- That is not a question, and if you didn't the Hat wouldn't have put you here. Probably.

"Also. Try not to bullsh- I mean, cheat your way through Hogwarts. It will not work."

Some of the Slytherins looked disappointed. Albus was a bit worried at how that was, seeing as he was taught it should be a given to never cheat. Yet, he had never truly followed that rule, despite his siblings easily doing the same.

"So, attempt to put in some effort. No doubt most of you will find nifty little loopholes, but I can't do anything about that. Except for sports. I need you to absolutely win at Quidditch."

Albus had a sinking feeling as the other students glanced at him, high hopes in their eyes.

"Anyways... Curfew is 10'00, make sure to wake up on time for weekdays, which is 9'00. I like to sleep in myself on weekends, so feel free to do so. Just try to look semi-alive when you exit the common room…"

She narrowed her eyes and took out a pamphlet from one of her pockets, flipping through.

"Well, that about covers it. Here are your schedules weekly. Don't ditch, by the way, because when I catch you it will not be pretty. In the meantime, sleep, eat, do whatever you want. Just don't bother me unless you're either bleeding or catatonic. Ask one of the older kids for my quarters, I don't feel like giving a tour right now."

The professer handed out the schedules, Albus gaining a moments amusement as she stumbled over QB's full name a few times before giving up. Afterwards she turned and walked out, certainly to her own chambers. Probably to recover from the horror and reality of another year.

Al numbly received his schedule and skimmed over it, pursing his lips. Flipping it over, it revealed a map of the school. It seemed pretty decent when he glanced over it, thankfully. James had only told him his own schedule half a thousand times, so they would be on opposite sides of the school most of the time during weekdays.

The boy felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew James… on weekdays he might be able to avoid him, but when he was off his brother was certain to confront him… What would he do? What would he say? There was nothing he could change…

He snapped out his thoughts when the boy prefect barked,

"Boys! Over here, to your dorms! Now!"

Albus winced and reluctantly followed the other Slytherins with his things, trying to look like he had definitely planned this the whole time and nothing had backfired. That he had totally expected to sort into Slytherin, that he wasn't nervous… but he was evidently failing. The other kids raised eyebrows at him, and some looked a bit frustrated. But all in all, every single one of them had the undeniably crafty look in their face.

The younger ones less so, but the older Slytherins… Their faces were carefully guarded, yet most had an easy charisma to them. They looked like the people you could trust, but Albus knew better. He knew those looks, because he himself had pulled them all off. All of these people… natural born...

_Liars._

Is that was he was now? A liar… someone determined to do whatever it took to win, to use people?

_No. I never will be. It isn't who I am._

He shoved his trunk under his bed, put Genevieve onto his nightstand and proceeded to flop down onto the sheets. He realized that in his mortification he had forgotten to truly observe the Slytherin Common Room, though he vaguely remembered the sound of water lapping up against the walls. Oh well… he'd get a good look at it tomorrow morning. He turned his head to see Scorpius Malfoy with his back to him, though he was easily recognizable with his white-blond hair.

_Great. Just great._

"Hey. You can't have your owl here." He heard a prefect hiss, and he jumped.

Albus blinked, stuttering,

"Er… what? Where… am I supposed to put it?"

"The Owlery… But you have no clue where that is, probably. Ugh, forget it, I'll do it." He sighed, and held out his hand to take Genevieve. Albus reluctantly handed her over, feeling like his last piece of anchorage was being ripped away from him.

"Thanks, er…" He started, then stopped realizing he had no idea what his name was. Awkward.

The Slytherin prefect smirked in amusement (Was that genuine?), replying,

"Adam Sessins, also Captain of the Quidditch Team. Try not to get into trouble, alright Potter?" The prefect was tall and visibly athletic, with side-swept auburn hair and eyes. He had an easy air to him, with a handsome face which no doubt earned him many a girlfriend.

Albus could only sigh and nod, though inwardly he had already taken a certain liking to Adam. After watching the prefect walk off with his owl, the boy stared back up at the ceiling in dull interest, and realized something- the dorms were covered in tapestries. Of whom he didn't know, but all of them were depicted in reverence and awe. They all had names sewed into them in gold embroidery, none of which he recognized… except for two.

**Merlin**

**Severus Snape**

Merlin? Snape? What were they doing in here? He knew that Merlin was a phenomenal wizard, so it would make sense to make a tapestry of him. But why Snape?

_Oh._

He realized that all of the wizards in the tapestries were wearing green and silver scarves.

The colors of Slytherin. These were all Slytherins, great ones with their achievements immortalized in thread. He noticed his namesake surrounded by death eaters, outlined in blood-red, yet the former Headmaster was outlined in a shining white light. So… these were more requiems than anything...

Merlin, the most renowned wizard ever to walk the earth.

Severus Snape, spy for Dumbledore and a key point in the defeat of the Dark Lord Voldemort.

Another might think that this was just internal bragging, but Albus saw it as something more. He saw it as something like, 'Look at us. Look where we were put, and how many of us were great because of it. We were put in the House where people saw villains, and came out heroes.'

He went to sleep feeling that much better.

* * *

 

_"You're a Slytherin, Al?" His father asked. He smiled at him softly, saying, "Well, that makes you one of a kind, doesn't it?"_

_"You aren't… mad?"_

_"Why would I be? There is no shame in being sorted into a place that hones your strengths."_

_What is that supposed to mean?_

"HEY! Get up you lazy blobs, its time to do some LEARNING."

Albus yelped and whipped out of bed, swaying from the magnitude of the voice and from the utter sleepiness.

"Wha-? What do you… Why would you…" Albus groaned, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He saw out of the corner of his eye Scorpious Malfoy hit his head against the door frame in alarm. Where was he? Why was Malfoy in a bed next to- Oh right, Hogwarts. Sorted into Slytherin without a millisecond of thought by the Sorting Hat.

"Merlin, Adam. Do you have to scare them so much?" A Slytherin voice joked.

"Yes, yes I do Hal."

Albus groggily turned towards their voices and saw Adam with a friend (presumably Hal). With a sigh, he watched the prefect laugh as he walked out of the room. Albus sniffled and turned around back to his bed, saying absentmindedly,

"Anyone know what time it is?"

He turned his head to see Malfoy shake his head, eyeing him warily. No doubt he had been told by his father to steer clear of the Potter children, like his dad had warned him. But since they were now living together, it was a bit inevitable. No doubt Malfoy realized the same, as he sighed,

"I'll go check in the common room after I get dressed. I think there's a clock or something in there."

"I'll go with you." He replied, and watched as Scorpious visibly stiffened. He inwardly wondered what kind of things his father had told him.

Albus decided it would be a good idea to dress as well and he threw on his uniform. He paused at the Slytherin tie, but eventually got over it and included it with his uniform. This was it. His life here was starting, and he might as well make the best of it. There was no time to mope, because the decision was final and there was nothing to change. He was a Slytherin, and that was all there was to it.

At least, that was what he told himself.

He trotted after Scorpius, who had already hurried ahead of him. Probably to deter Albus from accompanying him, no doubt. Well, too bad for him. Though maybe he was just trying to think up some clever insult- from what his dad had told him, Malfoy Senior always had a clever jeer up his sleeve. Well, so did Albus Severus. He already had many an insult just for Scorpius and his family. Ones that would sting like wasps.

He saw Malfoy open his mouth.

_This is it. He has no idea..._

Albus sharpened his tongue in preparation, ready to parry whatever insult was going to be hurled at him. And proceed to stab back. Hard.

"Um… I'm not really… supposed to be with you…"

_Well. Alright then._

Wholly anticlimatic, but a reminder all the same. If there was one thing he had learned, it was that a child was not a carbon copy of their mother or father. Al felt ashamed- he had basically let paranoia and his dad's influence get to him. He wasn't going to be friends with Scorpius- he had let down enough people- but that didn't mean he had to be a prat to him. At the very least they could at least be acquaintances.

"Its the same here. But as long as we're dorm mates, we might as well get to know each other past the point of awkwardness." He replied.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense…"

Albus realized that he had totally misjudged Malfoy. Whereas his father Draco had been swaggering and confident, Scorpius was soft-spoken and unsure of himself, looking downward toward the floor. Dragon and Scorpion, different in every way. Interesting. However, Al wasn't completely thrown off- he had been sorted into Slytherin for a reason- and not necessarily because it was in his blood. Al had already learned that.

But did it make a difference? Everyone here was clever, had at least a low amount of cunning, and ambition. They all knew that, so why not trust each other? As they entered the common room, Albus truly got to really drink in his surroundings. The Common room was darker, tinted a faint green. This was because, he learned, that they were actually underwater in the lake- the lake that was said (and proven) to have giant squid and less-than-attractive mermaids. Despite being so dark however, the room was lit with soft-lighted green lanterns, the style reminiscent of a Chinese paper latern, along with the rays of light protruding from the lake itself from the many windows. Several other tapestries were strung from the ceiling, and the room filled with comfortable looking couches, and a few chess boards. There was an unlit fireplace in the middle with a coiling snake above it, with glittering emeralds for eyes. An old-fashioned clock was tucked in the corner of the room, with tongue-flickering mechanical snakes for the hour and minute hands.

Unlike the other common rooms, which were described to be loud and boisterous, the common room had the feeling like it would be disrespectful to make any kind of noise. It was overall a quiet place, and Albus quite liked that fact in itself. Or, maybe, it was just that feeling because it was 5'30 in the morning.

Scorpius gave an audible groan of disbelief, muttering,

"Merlin, I cannot believe he woke us this early! Jerk."

Albus twitched, trying to comprehend who would be satanic enough to wake a bunch of nervous, anxious, mentally and emotionally exhausted 11 year olds at 5'30 AM.

Well, I guess I already know the answer to that one.

He heard a few noises behind him and turned to see a couple other first-years stumble from their dorms. Albus started to search for QB, the one familiar face, until he realized that only the boys were showing up. Odd… Where was Adam, after waking them up in a drill-seargent-esque manner?

...

_He didn't._

The 4th-year prefect and his friend had only woken up the first year boys, then obviously walked his merry way back to bed. The git. He obviously couldn't just stroll into the girls dormitories and wake them up, so… this.

"Are you serious right now?" Spat a voice, which he recognized to be the one who questioned the Slytherin Head of her chocolate's origin. Albus turned to make note of him. The constant complaining was going to get annoying, and if it did he wanted a basic profile.

The boy was obviously a pure-blood aristocrat, not unlike Scorpius. Dark brown curly hair, freckles, pale green eyes. What would have appeared friendly, but wasn't. Instead, the boy managed to turn it into the haughtiest, stuck-up face Albus had ever seen bar his brother.

"Looks like the prefect was just messing with us." Al explained, albeit a bit awkwardly.

Freckles sniffed indignantly, saying,"Why should I have to deal with that?"

Scorpius pursed his lips and twiddled his thumbs, slowly inching away. Albus was willing to bet double his allowance that the Malfoy boy knew this kid, and Al only bet on things if he knew that he would win.

"Eh, probably an initiation kind of thing." Another kid commented, who was turning along with other first-years back to their beds.

Scorpius edged away from Albus, and was starting to slink in with the others when Curly barked,

"Scorpius! Hey, come on, you are on my side, right cousin? You'll get revenge with me?"

Malfoy shuddered, but didn't stop walking as he called,

"Er… yeah, alright... Ven… sure… Maybe later, all right?"

Ven looked affronted, clicking his tongue in frustration and turning to Albus. He looked him over cynically for a second, then brightened in recognition.

"Oh! You're Harry Potter's son, right? Albus?" He chirped, extending his hand.

Al really didn't want to 'get to know' this guy, because when it came down to it he was positive Ven really just wanted to be friends for money/more status/ blackmail or a combination of all three. But regardless, he was a polite person and shook his hand reluctantly.

"I'm Ven, son of Rabastan Lestrange." Ven said, talking like Albus should instantly know his dad's name.

Well, he did. Rabastan was an ex-Death Eater. How did he walk out of it? Well, like all the others did- claiming they were forced to serve under the Imperious Curse or threats on their family's life.

"Uh.. hi…"

When Ven let go of his hand, Albus did his best not to wipe it on his pants or something.

"So, are you going to get them back with me?"

He swallowed, saying,

"Well, actually, I need to write to my folks back at home. So, see you in the morning (maybe)!"

Albus slunk away from him, slowly at first, until he scurried off back to his dorm.

"Well then who is going to help me?!"

* * *

 

Despite appearances, Al wasn't totally lying. As he sat down at his desk and pulled out parchment and ink, he began to write to the sounds of shuffling sheets and, to a certain degree, snores. Turned out, the far as he got was,

_'Dear Mother and Father'_

This was going to be a bit difficult. How would he say this?

_You cut it out. This isn't hard. Just tell them… Nothing bad will happen..._

He wrote.

_'Dear Mother and Father,_

_I was sorted into Slytherin.'_

Ok, this was hard. Al stopped, sighing. He couldn't just leave it at that. Or could he? A shorter letter never hurt anybody.

_I'll do it tomorrow. When I have more news. Or I'll wait until they write to me. They don't want to know everything thats happened, do they? Yet…_

He dipped the feather quill in the ink bottle, writing quickly before he lost his nerve and motivation. There was a lot to be said, in truth. Plus, he had plenty of time to kill- a good 3 and half hours.

_'Dear Mother And Father,_

_I've been sorted into Slytherin. I know that you and all the rest of my family had been expecting without doubt for me to be a Gryffindor, but I wasn't even a problem for the hat. The second it touched my head, I was Slytherin. I can't imagine James' reaction being any good. I hope I won't become a victim in his bullying, and that you have no problems with my house. Anyways, I've met so far QB and Abe Nilends, Scorpius Malfoy, and Ven Lestrange. Scorpius is quite shy, I haven't seen QB and Abe yet, and Ven is stuck-up. I have no idea who my friends are, or who you'll let me be friends with._

_Your Son,_

_Al Potter'_

There. That wasn't too hard. It felt more like an apology than anything else, but at least it was something. Folding up his letter and placing it in an envelope, he rose from his seat and turned to go exit the dorm room, peaking out to see if Ven was still out there. Turned out the Slytherin had gone, which meant he was probably out to go do revenge on the prefects. Snorting, he walked out of the portrait, letter in hand.

Alright, now which way was the Owlery...

Albus tentatively walked forward, unknowing if he was allowed or not to be up this early. He sure hoped that there was a map around, or something. But from what he knew, the Owlery was at the top of the school, so if he could find the stairs, he would be home free.

"You there! What are you doing up?!" Hissed a painfully old voice.

There was only one person in this school that could belong too- Argus Filch. Wincing, Albus turned to face the ancient squib.

"I need to get to the Owlery, to deliver this. The prefects decided to play a practical joke and wake us all up early, so…"

Filch, with skin like wrinkled paper, huffed in return,

"Still can't be up."

Was he going to have to use the name? Well, it was worth a shot. It had been done before and had worked.

"Oh… Thats too bad… Ugh, can't believe my dad got away with all this stuff and slew Voldemort…"

Filch began having a coughing fit (did it seriously shock him that much?), say in-between his hacking,

"Merlin… go straight… then left… stairs to Owlery, you little…!"

Perfect. It always worked- Harry Potter+Voldemort= Foolproof way to get out of trouble. Albus walked by the still-coughing caretaker, going the way instructed with a confidence he didn't know he had. After reaching the top, he opened the wooden door to be blasted with cold morning air. Breath vapor appearing in front of him, he hurried over to the owl cage and spotted his barn owl amidst the rest.

"Genevieve! Psst!"

The owl slowly unveiled her head from under her wing, holding him with her twin black eyes before hopping down. Albus opened the cage door, handing the letter to her ready talons. She nuzzled him briefly before spreading her wings and taking off like a ghost in the night, taking Albus' hope and horror with her.

 


	2. The Beginning

"Oh dear…" The Slytherin head sighed, looking at the schedule for the week and twirling her wand. With only four houses, it was obviously inevitable that Gryffindor and Slytherin would have classes together in potions, but she was hoping it wouldn't be like this…

"Something wrong, Emily?" Mcgonagall asked, never looking up from her newspaper. The Headmistress was visibly getting older, but still maintained a wry sense of humor and liveliness. Despite her years, she was very full of life and obviously enjoyed her position as Headmistress.

However, Emily suspected a retirement in a few years, though all the excitement at the Sorting might extend her leadership for at least another seven. Albus Potter as a Slytherin was something nobody had expected or hoped. They had all expected Gryffindor, but wouldn't have been surprised if he was put in any of the other houses. Ravenclaw? Definitely, the second Potter son you could tell was as sharp as a knife just by looking at him. Hufflepuff? Well, kindness and loyalty was a common trait in the Potters, so why not? Yet Slytherin, the black sheep of the flock, was the house for him. How funny. The Headmistress was definitely going to stay to see the second son through school, that was for sure. After that, she was almost certain to retire.

...Well, unless she planned to serve for life, as it seemed to be a trend with the last two Headmasters.

Emily ran a hand through her blonde hair as she sighed,

"Merlin help me, I have Gryffindor and Slytherin paired together for potions first period on Mondays. This is going to be disastrous on so many levels…"

The Headmistress chuckled, pushing up her spectacles as she continued reading, commenting,

"Good luck with that. But that is the first year class, so I don't think you should have too much trouble with them."

Laverne sat back in her chair shrugging her shoulders as she reminded her,

"Well, yes, but I feel like I'm responsible for something. I can either make it so that when they encounter each other on the street, it's a gang fight and they get their brains splattered on the sidewalk, or I can make them at least tolerate each other. But the latter is just so boring…"

Minerva raised an eyebrow, inquiring,

"…A gang fight?"

"You know...Muggle gangs, when they see each other across the street and then they... never mind." She sighed.

The Slytherin Head glanced up at the door, wrenching herself from the comfortable chair and starting to leave. Mcgonagall said wryly,

"Getting it over with? By the way, Emily, have you seen Embroidus lately? I didn't see him at the Sorting yesterday evening."

Laverne shrugged her shoulders as she put on her coat, replying smugly,

"How should I know? Cowardly bum probably didn't want to stick around and lose 5 galleons."

The Headmistress winced at the memory, snorting sarcastically,

"Yes, because your gambling was totally founded and you had solid evidence and reason to back it up."

"What can I say? My initiative is quite excellent, haha. I last saw him with Fernara, about to perform some… intimate activities I suspect in Hogsmeade." She reported, exiting the teacher's lounge.

The Headmistress shuddered, calling after her,

"I did not need those images in my head, thank you very much!"

* * *

 

Albus Severus exited the common room with his heart in his mouth, clutching his supplies to his chest. Here it was... the first day of Hogwarts, and all of its glories and horrors. There was no telling how things would go, who he would be with, and most of all how James would react to him. He himself had gotten up early, so he expected to go to the Great Hall alone.

"Hey Al, wait up!" A familiar voice called to him, and his mood was uplifted as he turned to see QB speed-walking towards him. She walked with a confident stride, like she was perfectly at home here despite being Muggle-born. However, he couldn't help but notice how tired she looked… and that she didn't come from the common room.

"Hi, QB. How are you faring? You look pretty at ease, which is more than I can say..." He asked casually, though he found himself envying her confidence when he had none to be found- and he was a born wizard!

Tossing her unkempt hair out of her eyes, she shrugged and admitted,

"I'm as much at ease as you are- I hardly slept and I'm still marveling at all the magic here. But I've observed some things and learned a thing or two. The key is to look confident in our house, especially with me being Muggle-born. You aren't going to earn any respect if you look like you have the guts of sheep."

Al nodded, only after a few moments realizing the hidden jape. Once he did, he scowled at her as a ghost of a condescending smile appeared on her face.

_Alright, QB, you've made your point. Try not to look like a pansy._

"Well yes, but some people kind of just look like peacocks doing that..."

Less subtle than her, but it was worth it to see her face. A silence formed between them as they walked- then QB chuckled lightly, Albus joining her.

"Heh, maybe its just safer to just walk normally then. Lets hurry and get to the Great Hall, I'm looking forward to finally eating." She said, her body language visibly more casual.

Albus took it as a sign of surrender, and happily claimed victory to their brief verbal match. They chatted between each other freely, and Al found the witch to be an easy companion.

"... so that would be why our schedules are exact, because Hogwarts has a pretty small number of students. Its divided up by year, and considering there isn't a lot of us, it makes sense." Albus finished explaining, and QB nodded.

"That explains why our schedules look the same. Anyways, it looks like we have Potions first with the Gryffindors. I forget the house relations… is that bad?" She asked, starting to push open the doors to the Great Hall.

Al groaned, smacking himself in the face. This was a disaster waiting to happen.

"That is incredibly ba- what? How did you learn that? No one knows who goes with who until we get to our classes!"

The witch smirked, saying cryptically,

"I hear things. This school has a lot of dark corners."

"You are gonna get yourself in trouble. Anyways, yeah, its pretty bad. Gryffindor and Slytherin have always had a nasty rivalry between themselves for quite a while. Plus the fact that its a Monday morning… It will be a mess unless the professor is one that can get everyone under control. " Albus snorted, sitting down at the Slytherin table with a few other Slytherins, all older than him and QB.

QB whistled, saying,

"Wow, sounds intense… But I hear that Gryffindor always starts it nowadays. They seem quite reckless, from what I've gathered."

Albus found himself leaping to the lion-crested house's defense, objecting,

"Yes, but Slytherin always bites back a lot harder! Gryffindor is a bit headstrong, yes, but they are all brave and courageous and…"

The brown-haired witch shrugged her shoulders indifferently, causing Albus to trail off. The 11 year old wizard sighed and turned away from her, contemplating her words and ignoring the noises of the other kids at Hogwarts entering the Great Hall.

 _Does it matter what happens? I shouldn't be defending a house I'm not in_.

He turned to QB again and started to open his mouth to speak, when the Great Hall's doors opened with a crash and a laugh and some hooting. QB yelped in surprise and whipped her head towards the sound, Albus doing the same. A Slytherin further down the table hissed in anger, and he turned to see the older kids eyeing the door coldly.

Even though the crowd hadn't entered yet, Albus already had a feeling who was coming in. The entrance, the way the other Slytherins were looking at it… his suspicions were confirmed when James and his lackeys crashed through the doors like a stampeding herd of centaurs. Cringing, Albus turned away from his brother and kept his eyes glued to a rather interesting floating candle.

 _Would it kill you to be a bit more subtle?_ He thought in exasperation.

However, the overall noise at the Gryffindor table spiked his curiosity, and he found himself wrenching his gaze from the wax candle to the table at the far end. With his attention focused completely on the Gryffindor table, it seemed truly even louder. He flicked his gaze up at the High Table and grimaced at the annoyed looks of all the professors. However, he couldn't help noticing that two seats were empty- which he guessed might be the Gryffindor Head and someone else.

_I don't blame them too much._

Wincing, he turned his attention back to the Gryffindors, and found his gaze locked with his brother's.

He didn't know what to expect- maybe a smile, a nod, a wink. Something that showed him that James was alright with it all. What he got was the opposite- his older brother snickered and turned his head away, talking to his friends and for all it was worth pretending that Albus was not even there. Shocked, disappointed, and indignant, he whirled away from the Gryffindor Table, gripping the bench below him tightly.

It was a few minutes before the Headmistress, Minerva Mcgonagall, arrived at the High Table and gave the clear to go ahead and eat. As the students tucked in, Albus was feeling more discouraged by the minute. Narrowing his eyes, he stabbed at his eggs and thought carefully. There was a reason to all of it, and he knew what he had done wrong- however illogical the crime.

Just the simple fact that he was a Slytherin. The House that spawned Voldemort, Bellatrix, and most Death Eaters. That and the fact that their family had been Gryffindors since the dawn of time… The thing was, Albus truly cared for James. As a brother, he esteemed him highly.

_I'll talk to him at lunch. I can make him see reason- he's just being his usual gitty self._

"Hey, QB. See your brother anywhere?" He asked politely, out of curiosity. Or, maybe it was out of spite- a hope that since his Gryffindor sibling was being stupid, maybe his friend's brother was acting the same.

"Hm?" She asked, her mouth full of food.

Albus repeated the question, a bit disheartened, and QB, after swallowing, nodded.

"Yeah, I saw him coming in. Though I think he was heading to far end… Waved at me, though… kind of made it obvious I was here…"

Upon not receiving the consolation required, Al shrugged and continued eating, glancing up to marvel at the sky-charmed ceiling. It was less impressive than at night, but still a nice piece of eye candy in the mornings before classes. At any rate, he was looking forward to his first class regardless if someone decided to blow something of another house's up.

He continued eating (albeit a bit grouchily), until a high-pitched squeal of alarm (from the Ravenclaw table) and a deep hoot sounded through the Great Hall (above his head). Glancing up, he wasn't sure if he should be nervous or delighted to see dozens of different species of owls swoop into the Great Hall, all carrying letters to their individual humans. He spotted the tawny-feathered Genevieve gliding towards the Slytherin table, silent and solemn. Albus somehow found that to be foreboding, though he knew that his barn owl had never made much noise in the first place.

Holding up his arm for her to land on, the avian spotted the gesture and dived down to perch. Gripping his arm lightly, with a few quiet beats of her wings she steadied herself and allowed Albus to untie the letter from her leg.

"Cool owl." QB remarked, her eyes bright with admiration. "I almost got one myself, but I just like cats better."

Albus nodded, saying grimly, "I almost didn't want her to show up today… I can't bear to face whats in this letter."

The barn owl stared at him, unblinking and tightening the grip on his arm.

The Slytherin boy grimaced in pain, adding quickly, "Not that I mean it. Life wouldn't be the same without her."

Genevieve nuzzled him on the cheek before she spread her wings, Albus pushing up his arm to assist her take-off. He watched her turn and glide out the windows, dodging any other owls who were late to arrive. Opening the envelope, he stared at the folded piece of parchment and swallowed.

"Whats wrong? You look like your parents found out you had committed a crime." The Slytherin girl next to him asked, peering at the envelope in curiosity.

Sighing, he replied, "It's nothing. I just don't think Slytherin is what my parents expected me to be sorted into."

Opening the letter, he examined it with as much aloofness as possible as his parents' voices emerged from the parchment.

_Dear Albus,_

Already, things seemed bad. Instead of calling him 'Al' like he preferred, they were calling him by his full name. They only did that when they were upset or disappointed with him. His father's voice replied, with a certain firmness-

_Please make sure to be wary of Lestrange and Malfoy. Though I won't say anything about Malfoy, Lestrange's father is a certain Death Eater and I'm sure that he's passed his ideals to his son._

His mother's voice spoke next, adding,

_Don't worry about James. Though he may be stubborn at times, he wouldn't abandon you. The very notion of it is foreign to him._

Dad-

_Do well in school, though I'm sure we don't have to tell you that. You were always smart. Remember to complete all of your assignments and watch out for Quidditch games to pick up on some skills. I know you'll make the team next year. Make me proud._

Their voices joined together for the final bit, saying happily,

_Have a good time at Hogwarts, Albus. We're sure you will make a lot of loyal and good friends. And seriously, don't trouble yourself with James._

_He is a Gryffindor after all._

_-Mum and Dad_

Al blinked at it, read it through twice over, and a feeling of overwhelming frustration washed over him. They hadn't addressed his concern with the Sorting. In fact, they had not suggested towards it at all except for his dad's initial warning to beware Lestrange. Were they angry? … No, they couldn't be, as dad was casual enough to mention Quidditch. But it could mean that they they didn't care about his housing if they didn't mention it. ... Yes, that was it. It had to be that. They didn't care and were happy with whatever, surely?

In addition, they had improved his determination to talk to James. Yes, he was a Gryffindor… of course he would understand. He had to have a sense of bonding, naturally. It should go well anyways.

Hopefully.

As Al walked to Potions with QB, he went over the letter in his head. A nagging feeling told him he was purposefully overlooking small details and hidden suggestions, but he banished any ideas that his parents were anything but straightforward with him. In any case, they had given him their response quickly enough to the point where he didn't have to brood over it all day.

 _There were many, many hidden innuendoes in there. Yet you refuse to acknowledge them out of your own pride, refusing to believe your parents aren't every bit as noble as they were hyped up to be. Just so that you don't have to say you are angry at them,_  A small voice hissed inside his head, and the Slytherin boy's frustration returned.

 _No… they would have told me so in there. They wouldn't hide such things in a letter. Shut up,_  He countered, effectively banishing all thoughts of the letter from his mind and concentrating on the event at hand.

* * *

 

 _Here I go…_ Albus thought, tingling with anxiety and excitement as he waited at the door of his potions class. Despite the less than favorable circumstances of the moment, it didn't change the fact that it was his first class at Hogwarts and he was frankly excited for it. In reality, he was secretly desperate for anything to stall lunch. As much as he wanted to talk some sense into James, he really didn't want to mess it up. Al wasn't one for failure, and he hated to have to risk humiliation. Another problem was getting his brother alone, and with him constantly in a circle of friends…

He supposed he would just have to rely on the bond they had between them. … Though, they were never extraordinarily close. Whilst James preferred running outside to exercise in the sunshine, Albus had always preferred to stay inside and read. While James' idea of a game was Quidditch, Al's idea of a game was playing chess. While James was muscular and athletic, Albus was thin and lithe like his father had been.

No… he couldn't count on an amazingly close brotherly bond, because they had never had one. Not that they hadn't had their moments. James had always helped him with any chores involving unnecessarily difficult manual labor, and Albus was adept at helping James escape a grounding whenever he got himself in trouble. It wasn't like they hated each other- they never had.

So then why would James be so unyielding in his beliefs? Albus inwardly sighed, putting aside his thoughts for later.

Observing the line to the Potions class, his heart sank to see that already the Gryffindors and Slytherins were taking a dislike toward each other. The Slytherins had pointedly spread into a single-file line that, with considerable gaps between students, stretched as far back as possible as to cram the tightly-knotted Gryffindors into a corner in the wall. Despite the hostility of the gesture, Al couldn't help but admire the clever way to insult the other house without words.

Albus was snapped out of his musings as the door was flung open and he heard a less-than-enthusiastic voice call,

"Come on in…"

Albus planned to ask QB if she wanted to be partners, but when he turned towards where she should have been, (right behind him) he saw her instead chatting with a Slytherin girl (at the end of the line) and Malfoy instead in her place. He recognized the girl as Mariposa Lay, and shot QB a betrayed glance before he walked in, pretending to ignore Scorpius. No matter what happened, he wasn't planning to be friends with Malfoy since it would cause a further rift between him and James.

He spotted Professor Laverne twirling her wand between her fingers as she watched them all enter, her eyes flicking back and forth from student to student nervously. What she was nervous about he was pretty sure of- how to keep everything intact. He wasn't sure how old the Slytherin Head was exactly, but guessing from her youth he suspected her to still be relatively new to the teaching job. In that case, she had a right to be nervous and would ultimately be crazy not to be.

Well, unless she was, in fact, insane.

As the students shuffled in, Albus stood to the side so he could wait for QB. Folding his arms, as she passed by he walked up beside her, though she was still talking with Mariposa. Seeing some empty seats at the middle-back (Perfect! Far back enough to get away with things, but crowded enough by people to be overlooked), he made his move to walk over, counting on their friendship to the point that she would follow. Sitting down, he looked back up and too his utter irritation, QB and Mariposa were heading off to the right-back. Jerks.

Snorting, he set down his bag and took out his textbook and quill and propped his head with his hand, waiting for someone to sit down next to him. As long as they weren't too bothersome, he could work with most everybody. For a couple seconds, the professor looked surprised and pleased to see that only Slytherins were filing in, (as if secretly hoping the enter Gryffindor house had been disbanded) until the first few Gryffindors bounded in and her face instantly fell.

Once everybody had mostly filed in, as it happened the famous Albus Severus Potter looked like he would be without a partner for the future months. He didn't think it would come to this. He was about to pack up and actively search for a partner until he spotted Scorpius and Ven- the latter looked distinctly ruffled.

"… right, and then they all came after me! I ran pretty fast back to our dorms but they caught me before I could get away… Messed up all my clothes, too, can you believe that? Whatever, I still won, of course."

Scorpius was nodding absently, though Al noticed that his pale grey eyes flicking across the room in a desperate need to get away from his cousin. It wasn't long before the Slytherin noticed the empty seat by Albus, and the two empty seats on the left side behind some Gryffindors. The second Potter son watched in half-amusement, half-despair as Malfoy visibly weighing his options. He could deal with the Gryffindors in front of him and potentially start a very nasty fight because of his obnoxiously stuck-up cousin, or he could break away from his cousin and live in relative peace, but next to his dad's worst enemy who potentially specifically warned him to never speak to or he'd disown him.

 _Come on… choose the Gryffindors, choose the Gryffindors!_ Albus mentally pleaded, but to no avail.

Scorpius casually started weaving in-between aisles, making it smooth enough for Ven to keep talking and following but it was obvious what his objective was. Albus watched with dread as Scorpius headed down his aisle, sat down next to him and reached to pull his school supplies out of his bag. Lestrange stopped talking once he realized that there wasn't an available seat for him, and glared at Albus, who was trying to mind his own business and adjusting the feathers on his quill.

"Scorpius, I don't have a seat…" He whined, Malfoy pursing his lips and replying,

"Oh.. sorry Ven. Maybe you can pull up a chair..." Scorpius pretended to turn in his seat and search for a seat for his cousin, but shrugged and shook his head.

"No good. Oh, hey! I see a seat next to Drain." He offered, nudging his head towards the seat next to Henalus Drain.

"Aw, come on, he's a half-blood!" He whined, and Albus found himself glaring at Lestrange.

"Yeah, bad luck I guess." Scorpius replied, swiveling around to face the professor, who was starting to get up. Ven made an annoyed clicking sound with his tongue and headed off to his partner.

Professor Laverne stood up, sighed, and said,

"Alrighty then. Please try to not rip out each other's throats, and this should go along smoothly…"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks for reading! :D This chapter is shorter than normal but a longer one will be published soon, and after that hopefully the brand new one! Even if you're just lurking, it is appreciated~


	3. Laverne

"Alrighty then. Please try not to rip out each other's throats, and this should go along smoothly. My name is Emily Laverne, and I will be your Potions Master. I am the head of Slytherin"- discontented murmurs from the Gryffindor side rumbled throughout the room- "and this is the part where I get you, aha, excited for education. So... so..."

Emily fumbled for her next words, and looked up to the stone ceiling in hopes for an answer carved at the top. Not that it would have mattered if it had been- she probably would have just ignored it anyways. She pursed her lips, and then gave a shrug of indifference.

"Well, whatever. You come here, you learn how to make potions you will probably forget how to use, and you're going to like it. Alright? Alright."

Laverne drew up her list of students, calling out each name with as best of pronunciation as possible. She duly noted that the Weasley girl, Rose, was also in this class. Looks like she was sitting well away from Albus, and shooting him apologetic looks. Scorpius Malfoy and Potter were sitting next to each other, much to her surprise. Other than that, nothing of note. She turned and flicked her wand to summon a board from across the room, drawling,

"Get out your notebooks and a pencil, so you can write down what we're going to be covering this ye-"

"Notebooks? Pencils?"

Laverne heaved another sigh- it was the voice of the boy who questioned her chocolate yesterday. She kept forgetting that she was in the wizarding world, a place in desperate need of modernization and absolute no clue as to the regular functions of the muggle world. She turned back to her students, and said slowly, almost pleadingly,

"Didn't you all get the things I said you would need for this class? Pencils? Pens? Notebooks and binder paper? Erasers?"

The muggle-borns, such as the girl with the complicated name, and the half-bloods more in tune with their muggle side, happily put out her requested items. Surprisingly, she spotted a couple purebloods with them as well- Emily cast a short look at them and smirked. The ends were dipped in a gold coloring. No doubt that Adam and Hal were making a fortune selling muggle items to the more naive kids in their dorm. Upon second look, however, there were more items with small silver swirls- even the boys. Of course. Annalise's "black market" monopoly was on the cusp of an immortal empire within Hogwarts, a tidal wave of unstoppable, ruthless business. She suspected that poor Adam and Hal were about to give in to temptation soon enough. Word had it that she had offered them one of her infamous "godmother deals".

_Stop getting off topic and teach your damn students._

Laverne shook her head, and snapped out of her musings. These kids still needed teaching, and however much she enjoyed her 5th year class, her 1st years still had potential. After all, the Potter boy was in this class.

"Well, for those of you who have, raise them up. I'm doing a count."

Thankfully, the children dutifully raised their materials. As she was counting, she noticed Albus tap on the shoulder of someone in front of him, give them a pleading smile, and thusly receive a pen and pencil. Scorpius noticed, then blanched, desperately waiting for Potter to make eye contact. After an awkward moment, the two locked eyes. Albus broke his gaze, and then took both writing utensils in his hand (hope sparking in Malfoy's eyes) in order to raise them up to the sky. Utter despair fell upon Scorpius's pale face. Laverne gave a sharp hiss of secondhand embarrassment- how cold. Icy cold.

She finished her count, and reported,

"Well, that is 16 points for Slytherin and 14 for Gryffindor."

The Gryffindor's looked a tad miffed, but it wasn't surprising. Despite the Gryffindor muggle-borns and half bloods outnumbering the Slytherins, the "muggle black market" was comfortably established in the house of snakes. Laverne expected the numbers to jump increasingly in the more senior students- even the more conservative purebloods put past their pride in order to win points, with a bit of charming from their Head Boy and Head Girl.

Laverne sat back down, and leaned back. She proceeded to dig out a chocolate bar from her desk, and listlessly waved her wand to have the chalk write,

"This year, you will learn:"

At the blank staring from some of the students, she motioned for them to start writing, and the room slowly dissolved into silence. The only noise was the scribbling of ink and the occasional snap of Laverne eating the chocolate bar as the board filled with information. McGonagall was right- being first years that were fresh off the train, the deep-seated rivalry hadn't quite set in yet. Maybe she could leave a lasting influence of being not as nasty to one another- or maybe she could cement the grudge even further. Whichever one was more interesting, or less work. Sometimes, just watching was the most entertaining course of all.

She heaved a sigh, resting her head on the back of her chair and staring aimlessly at the ceiling. First days sure were boring. First years could be boring in general, if only because you had to teach the basics.

"Oh. Uh... sorry Potter, but I actually do need one of those. I forgot my quill, so..."

Laverne reverted her attention to the class again at the whisper, and observed the conflicting desires to be polite and to not strain his reputation any further on Potter's face. Slowly, almost painfully, he grasped the pen and handed it to Scorpius.

A moment of silence.

"S-sorry, but how do you use it?"

Lestrange's boy looked up and gave an unbelieving, contemptuous stare at the squirming Scorpius, and Potter gave a small sigh as he carefully explained the process.

Well, maybe not as boring as she thought.

* * *

 

Albus couldn't believe it, really. Despite the show of discontent with the line formation at the beginning of the class, the most problems he had was with his fellow Slytherins, not the Gryffindors. Was it because the display of dominance with the line kept the Gryffindors at bay? Or did some of the senior students plant the idea in the Slytherins's heads? Albus wasn't sure, but what he was sure of was that Malfoy was intent on completely disregarding the mutual request of their fathers to stay away from one another. He kept asking for things and how they worked, and what this and that meant. Granted, he was hesitant and more often than not apologetic, but bloody hell, Albus had his own problems here. The Potions class was only barely crawling along, and he found himself being increasingly embarrassed and shocked at the blatant unprofessionalism of his Head of House.

Every so often Albus would look up to witness another one of his professor's antics- whether it be spinning in her swivel chair, eating copious amounts of chocolate, seeing how fast she could twirl her wand, or stacking cards. Occasionally, she would look up at him, and that same amused look on her face would return. It was maddening, but Albus would do his best to ignore her and try to get the attention of QB. She was, at the moment, happily exchanging notes with Mariposa- the two were looking to be fast friends, to his dread. While he was happy for the muggleborn to be at ease within Hogwarts, he couldn't help but feel that he would be isolated without the people he had met thus far.

Finally, thankfully, the bell for the class to end reverberated throughout the castle. As the students filtered out the classroom, Laverne gave a- not completely- sardonic wave, but retracted her hand at the sight of Gryffindors barreling through the door.

_Its justified, really. The Slytherins did pull that stunt with the line, after all._

Albus kept at his desk to wait for the Gryffindors to exit the classroom, with Scorpius, Ven (if only to catch Malfoy) and QB doing the same. Scorpius drummed his fingers on the desk and kept his eyes down, and Albus looked up to see Ven eagerly twisted in his chair in order to talk to Scorpius. It was a sight sorry enough to make Albus get up prematurely, and it seemed that QB had had enough with waiting, as she rose to her feet as well. They joined together at the middle of the classroom, and Albus winced as Ven leapt to his feet and brushed past him to get at Scorpius.

"Hey Malfoy, how lame was that? Drain wouldn't even look at me, I can't imagine why, wasn't that rude? Well, it's okay, I think I got another plan to mess with the prefects..."

Albus and QB were almost out of the classroom when another Gryffindor ripped past, almost knocking QB's things out of her hands. She stumbled, and Albus made a move to steady her, but she regained her balance and barked at the Gryffindor,

"Hey! Watch it, you git!"

Her face lingered on the reckless student for a moment longer, before she gave a sigh and started walking again. She pulled out her map, and stated flatly,

"Looks like we have Charms next. With uh... Professor Fernara Gallivancy?"

She gave a snort, remarking,

"These names are ridiculous."

Albus gave a short laugh, saying jokingly,

"You aren't one to talk, Quellabellas."

She glared at him and gave a teasing shove to the shoulder, before heading off in the direction of Charms. Albus felt a small grin on his face, and did a little jog to catch up to her. The castle halls were filled with students hurriedly going to their next classes, and the going was relatively smooth. In the hurry, no one really gave them any trouble, and the two chatted amicably about the goings of Hogwarts. Albus had been told of every detail of the school's architecture, and so he was all too happy to share with QB the nuances of the titanic castle. She was an enthusiastic listener, and Albus greatly appreciated the fact that everything he said held some sort of importance or wonder to her. By the time they almost neared the Charms classroom, Albus's mood was tremendously improved.

"...and so that is why you really need to be careful when you go up and down the stairs, because they can really catch you with your pants down if you're not paying attention, especially- GAH!"

Albus felt hands clap on his shoulders, and the boy jumped. In his alarm, a deep despair set into his core, and he prepared himself to face his brother. Had he seriously skipped out to find him? All the way here? But then again, he had just clapped his shoulders, isn't that a sign of friendliness? Wild possibilities scorched throughout his brain, and he turned, heart pounding, to lock with auburn eyes.

"A-Adam? I mean! Sessins!"

Albus's voice barely came out as a strained squeak, and the Slytherin prefect gave a puzzled expression.

"Did I scare you that much? You look like you've kissed a dementor, Potter."

Albus coughed into his elbow, and steadily regained his composure. QB shot him a mildly concerned, but mostly inquisitive glance, and Albus made a point of straightening himself.

"What brings you here, Sessins?"

Adam's expression brightened, then crafted itself into the visage of friendliness. QB gave a small snort of amusement- looks like Albus wasn't the only one who could tell that that expression was practiced and in the process of being perfected.

"Weeeeeellll," He started, reaching into his bag. He came back with a handful of pens, dipped in gold coloring.

"My Defense against the Dark Arts is just around the corner, so I figured I would say hello. Also, I know that you and the other first year Slytherins have already had Potions with Professor Laverne, but I didn't get a chance to sell you any of muggle merchandise- like these pens. How about it? Slytherins get discounts!"

_Oh, damn! I forgot to give that one kid his muggle writing tools back._

Albus gave a sheepish smile, and went into his own bag to retrieve his own pens, which were ornately decorated with small silver swirls. He held them out for the prefect, who examined them closely, to see.

"Sorry mate, but I already got some."

Adam's face darkened to the point that, out of the corner of his eye, he saw QB back up a step. The elder student muttered something under his breath (Albus caught something of the nature of "Bloody Cain... ruthless, bloody girl is ruthless..."), and Albus glanced behind him, longing to get to his next class. QB stepped back up again, and cautiously asked,

"Well...how much are they?"

The speed that Adam's expression switched from vengeful back to friendly businessman was a frightening thing. He outstretched the hand full of pens towards her, and happily chirped,

"2 sickles per."

QB shot Albus an exasperated look, and promptly handed over the amount requested. Albus couldn't help but feel like there was a bit of a ripoff here, but once the exchange took place Adam whirled around, gave a quick thank you, and went on his jolly way to his next class. Albus spotted Ven pass by the prefect, and Sessins fake-lunged at him- the boy gave a yelp and darted onto the other side of Scorpius, who Albus could almost hear give a sigh. QB tapped Albus on the shoulder, and the two turned to finally get to their class.

"Did Lestrange already get on the prefects' bad side?" She said amusedly, and Albus gave a groan.

"Sessins woke up all the first year boys early in the morning. Lestrange decided to go get revenge, but it looks like it didn't go so well for him."

It was mildly surprising, seeing the unmistakable swagger that Ven had held earlier in the morning. Then again, Albus doubted that a first year could take on Sessins, much less any other prefects that might have been with him. They entered the classroom and had sat down without really realizing it, and QB let out a small peal of laughter.

"Really? Your prefect sounds like a git! The girls have a much nicer one I think- we all got free pens."

She reached into her bag to pointedly bring out a black pen with a silver swirl, and Albus cocked his head in confusion.

"Why buy a pen from Sessins then?"

A crafty look spread across her face, and she winked.

"Life is all about connections, Potter. Don't you forget it."

Albus gave a low chuckle, and for a moment, thoughts of failure, James, and worry vanished from his mind.

* * *

 

Charms went by quickly, mostly due to QB's presence and her seemingly effortless snark. He occasionally spotted Scorpius looking miserable next to his talkative cousin, although it appeared that he was slowly starting to acquire the skill needed in order to simultaneously pay attention to the professor and drown out Ven's consistent comments and complaints. Professor Gallivancy was spritely and enthusiastic, a stark contrast to the slow burn of Professor Laverne. Brown hair would bounce unendingly as she walked, and Albus found it impossible for one to be so energetic on a Monday morning. But, overall, he liked her.

Slytherin was with the Hufflepuffs this class, and Al found it rather pleasant. The two houses kept to themselves mostly, but once in a while a Hufflepuff would wave and smile at a Slytherin. Albus found that he could easily get along with this class, and, better yet, the easy air to it allowed for him to wind down before his inevitable confrontation with his brother. Where would he be? If he recalled correctly, James would endlessly chat about hanging out in the Quidditch grounds, so it would be smart to search there. Should he bring someone? No, it would be best alone.

Gallivancy made it easy for his thoughts to wander- in the middle of a small lecture, she would often pause and sidetrack about her life experiences and history. Albus heard the name "Embroidus" come up a good number of times, and when she went back on topic there was an easy tell- she would toss her hair and begin with,

"Well, in any case..."

The real puzzling thing about Gallivancy was when she would make a comment, mostly about Embroidus, and then giggle and blush. Things that Albus just couldn't wrap his 11 year old mind about- things like "I was always on top" and "it was a crazy ride that day". Well, he supposed it was funny nonetheless, as whenever he looked over at QB it looked like she was just on the verge of somehow understanding, but at the same time she was forcing herself not to step into Gallivancy's strange sense of humor.

With the happenings of the classroom, Al's concentration was all over the place, and he would jump from this one thing to that in no time flat. But, inevitably, the bell tolled, and their professor was the first one to bolt towards the door instead of the last, leaving the bewildered students to take off by themselves.

"Wasn't that bizarre, QB?" He commented, and as she was packing up he noticed her give a shudder.

"She's a flighty one, alright..." She muttered, finally packing her things and motioning for him to get up. Albus followed suit, and walked with her to the main hall. He spotted Sessins on the way there, and started to wave at him- however, the prefect seemed occupied viciously debating with someone. With whom, he couldn't tell, as the crowd was thick, but Al decided it would be best to leave the Slytherin boy be.

"Hey! QB! QB!"

QB turned, puzzled, in search for the person who called her. Albus paused as well, quietly grateful for any sort of added buffer between him and his aforementioned plans, and before he knew it, Abe burst from out of the crowd to greet his sister. The three started walking again, Al quietly listening as Abe reported how his day was going so far to his sister. Realization dawned on Albus once QB apologized for not even noticing her brother in Potions, and guilt set in for him as well.

_Laverne really does suck up attention, and with me having to deal with Scorpius, I must have completely forgotten to look for Rose as well... And now I probably won't be able to see her until tomorrow too. Or maybe it's better this way- hopefully once I explain to James, my mind will be cleared up from this mess._

The main hall was already bustling, and the professors were taking their respective positions up at the front. He spotted Laverne in the middle of a rather enormous yawn, and Neville Longbottom- Al made a mental note to say hello later- pointedly averting his gaze from Professor Gallivancy and presumably Embroidus talking with one another. McGonagall gave the go ahead soon enough, but despite everyone else eating to their heart's content, Albus found himself without an appetite. He took the opportunity to observe the Slytherin table, and its interactions.

Adam Sessins and his friends (all visibly athletic, and thus Albus deduced them Quidditch members) were on the end of the table nearest Al, to his right, chatting animately and briefly looking over their shoulders to keep an eye out for anyone who might try anything- Albus could only hope that it wasn't James they were keeping an eye out for. Closest to him were some other first years- they were all mostly packed in the middle, with the older students on the ends. Further down to his left was Scorpius taking small bites of his food as his cousin shoveled in some mashed potatoes and kept pointing to various people. The far left was a mingled group of 4th to 7th years, and despite Al's first observation of all the Slytherins being packed together, he noticed another small group that separated themselves slightly from the rest- why, Albus couldn't fathom. Everyone looked relatively normal, and Albus felt a rise of both anger and confusion as to why James was so infamously targeting them.

_Even just a day with them has changed my perspective. James is a Gryffindor- loyal, a good person. It won't be hard to convince him._

He was starting to feel like a representative for his entire house, him, a first year with barely a day of experience under his belt. The students were beginning to disperse now, and Albus rose from his seat.

"Hey, Al! Mariposa and I are going to go explore some more, would you like to-?"

Al cut QB off, saying rapidly,

"Sorry QB, but I have something to do. Maybe later, alright?"

He was already walking towards the exit of the main hall, and as he sped-walk out he heard her reply,

"Uh, alright? See you later then... I guess..."

Albus pulled out his map to further help him get to the Quidditch field faster, heart leaping to his throat every time he rounded a corner. He almost dropped the map a couple of times, as his hands were trembling so violently. He made sure to look up every once in a while to check that he wasn't in anyone's path, but he wasn't entirely prudent- a couple of times the map would show hallways that weren't there, thus forcing Albus to backtrack until he found where he had made his blunder. He was almost nearing the Quidditch field, he could feel it, and he looked up to see opened doors to his desired location.

"Hey. Potter."

Albus squeaked and whirled, and then promptly had to look up to face to the tall Slytherin girl who had addressed him- he recognized her from the table, among the other older students. Her hair, long and pale, was not unlike Malfoy's in its same platinum blonde nature, and skin only a few shades lighter than Scorpius- but the facial features, regal and serene, marked her from a different family. Her hands were folded behind her back, and a couple of what he presumed to be her friends (two Slytherin, one Ravenclaw) lingered behind her. It was an interesting contrast- the way that they were lined up, it was palest to darkest, with the Ravenclaw boy at the other end of the spectrum.

"Y-yes?"

Blue eyes bored into him as she gestured to the open door to the outside.

"You're heading to the Quidditch field. I would reconsider. Some of the more... unsavory... Gryffindors hang out there." Her voice was quiet, yet authoritative- it almost convinced him to follow her advise. Albus faltered slightly, then spoke.

"I'm just going to see my brother. " Al clarified, then swallowed. He straightened his posture and said, a little more confidently,

"They won't bother me."

She looked unconvinced, though it was hard to tell behind her carefully neutral expression. Albus could nonetheless tell the gears were whirring inside her head and conclusions were snapping into place. Her eyes flickered past him towards the door, and then her visage turned sympathetic as an understanding dawned on her- what it was, Al couldn't tell. Her hands came out from behind her back, and she reached into her pocket to pull out her wand.

"I think we should come with you. It's not safe."

"Huh? That shouldn't be necessary."

"I really must insist."

Albus felt something in the pit of his stomach start to form, and anxiety threatening to consume him once again. The way that she was acting, how her wand was drawn and how she seemed determined to accompany him...

"I'm okay. Really, I am." He said, starting to back away. She said nothing, and Albus took it as a good sign, and so he turned away from her and started his trek towards the field. He looked behind him to see if the Slytherin girl and her friends were following him, but she had already turned back to her group and they seemed to be going about their business once more.

Albus picked up his pace, finding no time to admire the vast field where the school's fierce competitions took place. He slunk through the entrance into the field, and took a deep breath. He scanned his surroundings to see a group of kids lounging around in the distant stands, but no one else. And so, he began his long trek across the grass. Each step increased his nerves exponentially, and it wasn't long until the group of Gryffindors spotted the lone Slytherin first year journeying across the field. Albus was drawing closer now, close enough to see their facial features- and James. The few behind his brother appeared to be in the same year, though he spotted a few older kids mingling in the background.

 _"It's not safe._ "

It was ridiculous. He shouldn't be afraid. James was his brother.

_James is my brother. He is a Gryffindor._

Albus straightened himself up a little.

_They are chivalrous. Understanding._

Al's steps were increasingly bolder, at ease. That was right. James was a good person, someone who believed in family.

_He wouldn't abandon you._

Belief in his family, in James, soared, until he was convinced that he was worried for nothing- was he really dreading this so much? Yes, James had been cold to him earlier, but that could be remedied easily. There was a positive skip in his step now, and by the time he approached the Gryffindor group, and James, he was beaming them up a smile and chirping,

"Oy, James. How are you doing? Could I talk to you?"

James looked to his friends, who were currently leering down on Albus. He gave a condescending snort, snickering,

"Are you serious?"

Albus's smile half shrunk, his resolve wavered, and he felt dread start to kindle again- but he stomped it down, and swallowed. His mouth felt dry.

"Y-yes!"

One of his friends, a tall, ragged looking boy mockingly reply,

"D-don't you g-get it? G-get out of here!"

"I wasn't talking to you!" Albus snapped hotly, his breathing becoming slightly more rapid. He felt his fingers start to twitch slightly.

He turned to his brother once more, a pleading look starting to form into his eyes.

"James? Can you talk?"

His brother pursed his lips, and he cast a short glance to his friends, who were looking at him expectantly. James gave a huff, and then leapt down from the stands onto the grass. He gripped Albus on the shoulder, tight, and led him away from his friends.

"Hey- ow! You're hurting me!" Al yelped.

"Shut up."

Albus flinched, and he wrenched himself away from his brother. His heart was in his throat, the same dread and anxiety flaring up again, and when Albus pushed it down he knew it wasn't entirely gone.

"Are you serious? Is this because I'm in Slytherin? That's why you're being a git to me?" He was trying to summon up indignant anger, but he was already feeling his voice waver. James didn't reply immediately, but when he did, it burned.

"You're a lying cheat, Albus. A lying cheat." James's voice was low, angry. As if betrayed.

"W-what? No, thats not-"

"You're putting on an act, aren't you? Playing on my emotions?"

Everything Albus feared, was coming to life. His breath was quickening again, and he shook his head wildly. Behind James, he noticed his friends jumping down from the stands and slowly creeping up to them.

"James, stop it! That isn't- I'm not-"

"You noticed how I wouldn't even acknowledge you at breakfast, and you're trying to make sure that you don't fall out of your social status. Isn't that right?"

"No! Just let me explain, I'm not like that, you know me!" Albus was frantic, his legs quivering. It was then he noticed that his brother's friends had encircled him, barring any escape he might have had.

This wasn't smart. Everything is going wrong. I just rushed it. Why?

"Y'hear that James, he's not like the others. Prove it, Potter, why don't you?" One of them cuffed him upside the head, and Albus backpedaled, only to run into another, who promptly shoved him to the ground. Albus was scared at this point, and as he scrambled to his feet he shot a desperate look at James.

_This isn't how it's supposed to be._

His brother didn't say anything, not for a long while. Finally, he shook his head, disgusted, and turned his back on him.

"Merlin, Albus. Make sure he doesn't come back here again."

They advanced on him, and Albus whipped out his wand. The only  combat spell he really  knew was _expelliarmus_. Merlin knew how many times his father had cast it. James's friends seemed unfazed- their own wands were out. James was walking away.

"James!" He called, his voice cracking.

Someone yelled something, and Albus was knocked to the ground again with a stinging sensation in his chest. He raised his own wand, but someone slapped it away, and now sheer panic overtook Albus. Through the boys, he spotted James, growing farther and farther away.

" _James!_ "

The world seemed to be spinning around him, and he felt something, some foundation, splinter and crack within him. Someone grabbed him by his robe and heaved him up, and the magnitude of the situation finally set in- he wanted to get out, he needed to get out, or he was going to get hurt. More than he already was. But how? They had surrounded him, James was gone, had turned a blind eye to whatever his fellow Gryffindors were planning to do. His wand had been discarded- he thought he saw someone throw it to the side. Albus wrenched himself free of whoever was gripping him, and tried to barrel his way through- unfortunately, Albus was small, and a solid punch to the gut sent him spiraling to the grass again with the wind knocked out of him. Al struggled to breath, mouth moving like a suffocating fish, until he was able to collect himself and stagger to his feet. They were still surrounding him- saying things, with nasty looks, but his comprehension had flown out the window.

_What do I do? Where do I go?_

The same boy who had punched him, a tall and bulky child, approached once more.

**_What do I do?!_ **

He backed up, into another boy- but then the resisting presence vanished. Albus knew this was his chance, and whirled to escape- to find himself witnessing the pale girl, who had snagged his assailant by the hood, using the momentum to throw the Gryffindor onto the ground. She had her Ravenclaw friend with her, who muttered something and advanced on the other Gryffindors. They were outnumbered, but they both easily loomed over the second-year students. The Slytherin girl said nothing, simply staring down the other Gryffindors. Neither of them had their wands out, but the Gryffindors did- until the older students saw fit to withdraw them. It was clear now where the power lied, and after a brief moment of consideration, one of the Gryffindors huffed (James's second in command, thought Albus through his haze) and turned to trot back to James. The rest soon followed, much to Al's surprise.

_Aren't they supposed to be brave? I would have expected them to charge in, no questions asked._

Albus turned to look at the Slytherin girls face. Her gaze slid over to his to make careful eye contact. A chill ran up his spine, and he lowered his head.

_Brave doesn't mean suicidal. Not like I was back there. I was an idiot... such an idiot._

"I wish you had listened to her, Potter." The Ravenclaw sighed as he put his wand away. Albus kept his eyes on the ground, struggling to keep tears from forming. He was still clutching his stomach as he started to walk off to retrieve his wand.

"So do I." He whispered hoarsely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last pre-written chapter before I make the new one... RIP me

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please note that this was written before CC (on fan fiction.net) and has a completely separate plot with completely separate characters. So no Delphi and Time Turners here. I'm waiting to see how it is received here before I go through the trouble of publishing all the other chapters, so I guess this is the test chapter, aha...


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